Howdy Doody

Howdy Doody is an American children television series that made its debut on December 27, 1947 as Puppet Playhouse. Originally produced by E. Roger Muir for NBC, the series was presented by Buffalo Bob Smith and Howdy Doody, the titular freckle-faced marionette who has since become the program’s sole host. First-run episodes have been broadcast by PBS since 1980.

Puppet Playhouse era
While presenting a children's radio program on WNBC, Bob Smith came up with a country bumpkin character named Elmer, who often said the phrase "howdy doody". The children who listened to the show thought that was his name and were disappointed that they "couldn't see him".

Weekday afternoon era
TBA

Saturday morning era
TBA

Howdy Doody & Friends era
In November 1961, NBC approached Smith about hosting a children's Christmas special that would serve as a pilot for a brand new series if successful. Initially, Smith declined, stating that he didn't want to be typecast. He changed his mind after learning that many of his former colleagues from The Howdy Doody Show were also attached to the project. The special, titled A Howdy Doody Christmas premiered on December 24, 1961 to high ratings. Centering around Howdy and Clarabell celebrating seasonal festivities while also making preparations for the big day.

As a result of the special's success, Howdy Doody returned during the 1962 television season as Howdy Doody & Friends.

The title character had a much more prominent role in the show and was not simply a sidekick.

In the late-1960s, the series received criticism from Native American civil rights groups for its portrayal of natives. As a result, those elements were removed.

Format
During its early days, the show did not follow a strict format as it barely followed a script and was almost ab-libbed. This changed with the addition of now-iconic characters such as Mayor Bluster, Flub-a-Dub, and Dilly Dally.

Each episode begins with the famous phrase, “Say kid’s, what time is it?”, which is followed by the program’s iconic theme tune.

Eras

 * Puppet Playhouse (1947-1948)
 * Weekday era (1948-1956)
 * Saturday morning era (1956-1960)
 * Christmas special (1961)
 * Howdy Doody & Friends (1962-1968)
 * Various specials (1968-1970)
 * The New Howdy Doody Show (1970-1978)
 * Christmad special (1979)
 * Howdy Doody folks (1980-present)

TBA
As a result of competition from ABC's Mickey Mouse Club during the mid-1950s, NBC decided to start broadcasting Howdy Doody in color. This move did not do much to attract viewers, as only a small percentage of U.S. households had color TV sets at the time. The series was revamped further during the summer of 1956, with the incorporation of more variety show elements and the switch to exclusively Saturday mornings. In order retain its target demographic, the network frequently informed the public about the retool in magazines and press releases. Despite all of this, the show still retained its charm.

Revamping the series and decent ratings were simply not enough. Advertisers favored sponsoring programs aimed towards the general public and the show began losing profits. In order to cut costs, production was moved outside of the Rockefeller Center in 1958.

In 1959, viewership for Howdy Doody began to peak for the first time in years. This was because of ABC's decision to cancel The Mickey Mouse Club. Also, the show could finally attract sponsors. Companies such as Mattel, General Mills, and Schwinn began advertising their producuts on The Howdy Doody Show, which had trouble attracting sponsors up to that point.

Network executives considered ending production altogether in 1959, citing advertisers’ favoring general audience programs more than ones aimed at children. However, producer Roger Muir persuaded them to give him another chance. As a result, he hired Shari Lewis and relocated production to another studio.

The hiring of new writers caused the series improved in quality. While the amount of slapstick was decreased, more action was added into plot-lines. Educational elements were incorporated into each episode, as well as references to popular culture. Despite all of these changes, the series still retained its charm.

Smith retired in 1994 and Howdy became the sole host.